President Bola Tinubu has sent a delegation to London to negotiate the transfer of former Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu. He is serving a nine-year prison sentence in the United Kingdom for organ trafficking.
The Federal Government wants him to complete his sentence in Nigeria under a prisoner exchange deal.
The delegation, led by Minister of Foreign Affairs Yusuf Tuggar and Attorney General Lateef Fagbemi, met officials of the UK Ministry of Justice on Monday. They later visited the Nigerian High Commission in London and were received by Acting High Commissioner Mohammed Maidugu.
Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesman Alkasim AbdulKadir confirmed the visit. He told Arise News that talks with UK authorities are ongoing. He said Nigeria has submitted a formal request for Ekweremadu’s transfer.
Ekweremadu and his wife, Beatrice, were arrested in June 2022. They were accused of bringing a 21-year-old Lagos street vendor to the UK for a kidney transplant for their daughter, Sonia. In March 2023, a UK court found him guilty under the Modern Slavery Act. He was sentenced to nine years and eight months. His wife got four years and six months. Their associate, Dr. Obinna Obeta, received ten years.
The case drew global attention. It exposed flaws in organ donation laws and led to diplomatic talks between Nigeria and the UK. Tinubu’s move signals Nigeria’s effort to protect its citizens abroad and strengthen ties with Britain.
